Ingot mold lining apparatus



y 1950 J. R. GRIFFITHS 2,508,711

INGOT MOLD LINING APPARATUS Filed 001;. 16, 1947 IN VEN TOR. day/v K Gem/7M6 Patented May 23, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INGOI' HOLD LINING APPARATUS John B. Gama, Oakland, cam. Application October 1, 1947, Serial No. 780,181 8 Claims. ((71. 22-88) This invention relates to devices for trowelling plastic coating material on base surfaces.

An object of the invention is to provide a device particularly adapted to the internal resurfacing of ingot molds.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which may be operated by a single workman without the assistance of other than a lifting device such as a chain falls or crane.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type referred to which will effect considerable savings in time and production costs in foundries and steel mills.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device for applying a renewal surface coating of heat-resistant material to the bore surfaces of ingot molds, which device is automatically adjustable to receive and resurface molds in which the cross-sectional sizes of the cores may difier within reasonable limits.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described whose production cost is very low in proportion to the savings in production and equipment costs capable of being eilected thereby.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation, partly in vertical section and to a reduced scale showing the lining device of my invention in operation during the application of lining material to an ingot mold.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the trowelling head. A portion of the view is broken away and shown in vertical section so as to more clearly disclose the internal structure.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmental perspective view of the corner construction of the trowelling head.

In the formation of metal ingots which are subsequently rolled to form plates or other structural shapes, the molten metal is poured into molds, a typical one of which is shown sectionally in Figure 1, which is resting in axially perpendicular position on a metal slab or chill plate not shown. The mold comprises a heavy metal body 6 provided w th a lower flange 1, on which the mold may rest on the chill plate, and with an upper flange 8 provided with eyes 9 or similar devices to which may be attached the bridles ll of a crane lifting line, not shown. Within the mold body I is provided the ingot mold l2 comprising a bore of usually rectangular cross-sectional form extending axially vertically through the body and converging uniformly from a larger cross-sectional area at the lower end of the body to a slightly smaller cross-sectional size at the upper end thereof. The molten metal poured into the mold l2 completely fills the latter and, upon solidifying and cooling sufficiently, shrinks away from the body 6 so that the latter may be freely lifted from the ingot thus created and conditioned to receive a subsequent charge of molten metal. After a period of use, which sometimes is not of great extent, the wall surfaces of the mold bore will become roughened, due to slag accumulation or pitting caused by repeated contact with molten metal, with the result that the solidified ingot may stick in the mold and may be separated therefrom only by the application of considerable pressure usually applied by a hydraulic press. It is not infrequent that an ingot may become so securely locked in the mold that pressure will not effect a separation thereof in which case it is necessary to return the poured ingot together with its attached mold to the melting furnace. It is obvious that considerable time will be lost both in the eiforts to dislodge the ingot and in replacing the destroyed mold.

I have provided means whereby molds which become roughened or pitted and exhibit a slight tendency to retain the ingot, may be rapidly reconditioned so as to function as efficiently as when originally constructed. In accomplishing this I provide a vertical post it which is suitably anchored at its lower end in the mill floor It or other support and which carries at its upper end a removable and radially expandible trowelling head It over which the superposed mold 6 may be axially lowered so as to effect the spreading, on the core surface thereof, of a layer of plastic fire clay l1 placed in the perimetral channel defined by the upper sloping surface of the head It and the bore surface of the mold l2, the clay or other material being trowelled on the bore surface by the extreme lower edge portions of the head as the latter progresses along the bore. The trowelling head It is shown in detail in Figures 2 to 4 inclusive and comprises a cap plate l8, preferably rectangular in form and provided with a central aperture is serving as the receiving socket for a mounting pin 2| carried by the top of the post l3 and by means of which the trowelling head is located centrally of the post. On the respective sides of the plate l8 are provided hinges 22 or their equivalent which pivotally connect to the plate the upper portions of dependent, outwardly diverging sheet metal flaps 23 which, when head is within the mold, lie at angular positions relative to the mold core wall surface and engaging the latter along their lower horizontal edges 24. The said lower edges 24 are 3 made sufficiently broad, horizontally, to extend over the greater portion of the said wall surface.

Lying within the head and spanning the gaps between the side edges of the flaps 23 I provide rectangularly bent sheet metal corner plates 26 having their lower horizontal edges 21 disposed in registry with the flap edges. Provided in the upper portion of the flaps 23 are shouldered screws or rivets 28 engaging and freely movable in horizontally elongated guide apertures 29 formed in the plates 26. Each corner plate 26, on the inner surface thereof, is provided with an integral anchor block 3] to which is secured, in any suitable manner such as by brazing, one end of a coil spring 32 extending radially inwardly of the head and similarly secured at its other end to an annular collar 33, the latter being adapted to pass freely over the post l3. The flaps and corner plates along their bottom edges 24 and 21 are provided with external bevels 34 forming a continuous perimetral surface surrounding the trowelling head and serving to form a, levelling edge between which and the adjacent wall surface of the mold the lining material I! may be squeezed, as the mold descends relative to the head, to spread a uniform and smooth coating of the material on the wall surface. It will be seen that as the mold descends, being lowered at an even and desirably slow rate by the supporting crane, the gradually contracting mold bore [2 will cause the trowelling head to be correspondingly radially com ressed against the tension of the springs 32 and to continue smoothly applying the coating material. When the head It emerges from the upper end of the mold, the former may be lifted from the post and the mold may be raised out of engagement with the post and transported to the pouring line or to storage to await subsequent use.

The operation of reconditioning a mold requires only a comparatively short period of time and consists in the steps of placing the head IS on its supporting post l3, centering the mold over the post and primarily lowering the mold to cause the edges 24 and 2i of the head to just enter the lower end of the mold bore, placing suflicient plastic material I! in the mold bore to form the desired coating, and finally lowering the mold until the head it passes completely through the aforesaid bore. This entire procedure usually does not require more than a few minutes so that the mold may be reconditioned for immediate use without seriously interrupting pouring of the ingots. Although the coating material 11 in its paste form contains considerable moisture, the molds, when being reconditioned. are quite hot or are sufficiently warm to completely bake the moisture from the material shortly after the latter has been applied in its coating form. A reconditioned mold may produce an ingot which is somewhat smaller, in cross-sectional size, than one which may be produced from an untreated mold. This reduction in size depends upon the thickness of the coating which must be applied to cover the surface imperfections of the mold but usually is so slight as to be practically unnoticeable.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for applying a coating of flowable lining material to the cavity surface of an ingot mold, comprising a head member arranged for insertion into and movement relat ve to and through said cavity, said head member comprising a polygonal'cap plate. flap plates pivotally attached to the sides of'said cap plate and de- VI pending therefrom, angularly-shaped corner plates connected with said flap plates and bridging the gaps between edges of adjacent nap plates, means for forcibly urging the flap and corner plates radially outwardly to engage said cavity surface and to form therewith a receptacle extending perimetrally around said bodl for holding a quantity of said lining material in contact with said cavity surface, and edge portions of said flap and corner plates being provided with relatively registered faces forming a continuous trowelling surface around said body for applying a continuous coating of said lining material to said cavity surface upon relative movement between said head member and the cavity surface.

2. Apparatus for applying a coating of flowable lining material to the cavity surface of an ingot mold, comprising a head member arranged for insertion into and movement relative to and through said cavity, said head member comprising a polygonal cap plate, flap plates pivotally attached to the side of said cap plate and depending therefrom, angularly-shaped corner plates connected with said flap plates and bridging the gaps between edges of adjacent flaip plates, springs interposed between opposed plates for forcibly urging all plates. radially outwardly to engage said cavity surface and to form therewith a receptacle extending perimetrally around said body for holding a quantity of said lining material in contact with said cavity surface, and edge portions of said flap and corner plates being provided with relatively registered faces forming a'continuous trowelling surface around said body for applying a continuous coating of said lining material to said cavity surface upon relative movement between said head member and the cavity surface.

3. Apparatus for applying a coating of flowable lining material to the cavity surface of an ingot mold, comprising a head member arranged for insertion into and movement relative to and through said cavity, said head member comprising a polygonal cap plate, flap plates pivotally attached to the sides of said cap plate and depending therefrom, angularly-shaped corner plates connected with said flap plates and bridging the gaps between edges of adjacent flap plates, springs interposed between opposed plates for forcibly urging all plates radially outwardly to engage said cavity surface and to form therewith a receptacle extending perimetrally around said body for holding a quantity of said lining material in contact with said cavity surface, and said flaps and comer plates each having bevelled edges facing said cavity surface and cooperatively forming a continuous substantially vertical plane surface surrounding said body, and said surface, during relative movement between said body and cavity surface, trowelling a continuous coating of said lining material on the cavity surace.

JOHN R. GRIFFITHS.

REFERENCES crrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 124,421 Collicott Mar. 12, 1872 544,908 Clark Aug. 20, 1895 .162.393 Pctrich Nov. 30, 1915 

